'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile' Trailer: Zac Efron Is Serial Killer Ted Bundy

Between 1974 and 1978, Ted Bundy murdered at least 30 (possibly many more) women in seven states. He was put on trial. It was a circus. He was convicted. And he was also very handsome for a deranged serial killer.

And now, he's being played by Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a film that chronicles Bundy's relationship with Liz Kendall (Lily Collins), his highly publicized trial, and beyond. The first trailer for the film has arrived and you can watch it below.

Let's get one thing out of the way first: this is a terrible trailer. Edited to make Bundy look like a badass rebel rather than a psychopath who took pleasure in the pain of women, it's a colossal misfire of marketing. No one wants to see a movie about how cool Ted Bundy was and this trailer misses the mark by trying to sell us on one-liners and winks.

However, that doesn't mean Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile will be a bad movie. We'll know for sure when we catch it at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend (so look for our review in the coming days). After all, Efron has proven himself to be an increasingly fascinating actor, someone willing and able to shed that Disney Channel persona to try different things. And behind the camera is Joe Berlinger, the prolific documentary filmmaker whose Paradise Lost trilogy is among the greatest works of true crime storytelling ever made (although the less said about his foray into fiction, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, the better). There's enough promise here to look past the trailer and hope for the best.

Here's the official synopsis for the film:

1969. Ted (Zac Efron) is crazy-handsome, smart, charismatic, affectionate. And cautious single mother Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins) ultimately cannot resist his charms. For her, Ted is a match made in heaven, and she soon falls head over heels in love with the dashing young man. A picture of domestic bliss, the happy couple seems to have it all figured out ... until, out of nowhere, their perfect life is shattered. Ted is arrested and charged with a series of increasingly grisly murders. Concern soon turns to paranoia—and, as evidence piles up, Liz is forced to consider that the man with whom she shares her life could actually be a psychopath. This is the story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Collins shines as Liz, while Zac Efron gives a performance that could redefine his career. Renowned filmmaker Joe Berlinger, best known for his true-crime documentaries, proves to be the perfect match to bring this Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile true story to the screen.

There is no release date for Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, but I imagine we'll be hearing more following its Sundance premiere.